Wizard Slayer
by LitD
Summary: Adventurers have many motivations. Many seek glory, others wealth while others seek to prove themselves and some are even motivated by bloodlust. However there are some that view it as little more than a job.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Goblin Slayer.**

* * *

It was so easy to lose one-self. The feeling of power coursing through ones veins, gathering in ones fingers before unleashing it in an awesome display of light, noise and power. It was intoxicating.

A power that was so slow to gather in the beginning. As a child he studied as his peers played games. As a youth he studied as his peers discovered the taste of the forbidden fruits of liquor and girls and all to show for it was a measly light show, a single ball of light was seen as a triumph.

How pitiful it seemed now that a wave of his hand summoned a dozen balls of light to be sent at his will to burn through stone, wood, metal, cloth, flesh and bone. Screams of pain sounded, the smell of blood, burnt flesh and fear hung thick in the air.

The fear, he found, was particularly intoxicating. The way its stench hung in the air, the way the fools scurried from the room, their pale faces, their wide eyes and the tremor of their voices.

It was simply marvelous.

Perhaps they had thought him weak when they had summoned him here. Perhaps they had thought their numbers would hinder him.

If so than all the more fools them.

A bolt of light came from his left flying in lighting spead only to shatter on the shimmering wall that appeared around him. He did not even deign to look in the direction the attack had come from, he waved his hand, uttered a word of power and a scream of panic was brutally cut short.

They could not stop him. Had he so chosen he could have simply walked out and that would be all they would ever see of him. He did not choose to do so.

Instead he moved further and deeper, tearing through their attempts to stop him, stall him as he tore those that held him back so long. Thoughts came to his mind, thought of how with this power was it not right that they cowered? Was it not proper?

And why only cower? Why not kneel? Why not grovel and press their heads into the ground only lifting them at his mercy? Was it not proper before one who should rule them as a king? No, not king as, after all, was his power not divine?

* * *

\- 'The new quests are up!'

At the guild workers words a crowd of adventurers rushed to the wall, the excited hubbub of conversation filling the hall.

-'Vermin extermination?'  
-'I'm sick of trudging through sewers, let's look at the other jobs.'  
\- 'Goblins maybe?'  
\- 'Will we manage?'  
\- 'It's in our pay-grade...'

A group of porcelain adventurers discussed among themselves, their hushed tones completely drowned out as an excited voice declared.

\- 'Trolls! There's always good money involved!'  
\- 'To say nothing of the fact that troll meat is a delicacy.'

Some groaned, others nodded in agreement at the statement while others laughed at the exchange, including the receptionist observing the goings on.

There were many pros to the job and many cons, all agreed to that as a fact, and as far as the guild receptionist was concerned observing these people going about, their banter and the pleasure on the return from a dangerous task was greater than the having to deal with the fact that many of them returned crippled if at all.

-'Excuse me?'

She pushed her thoughts aside and turned to the speaker, a fresh faced youth, probably no more than sixteen springs. With a professional smile she asked,

\- 'How may I help?'  
-'I would like to register.'

He said, confirming her suspicions. Professional smile still in place she held his gaze for a moment, he managed to look both nervous and excited in equal measure, par for the course of new adventurers but his eyes, there she saw determination and a strength that held potential, a good candidate.

\- 'Of course. Can you read? Write?'  
\- 'Not really...'

He admitted, a slight blush tinging his face at the admittance. Also par for the course among many applicants, a testimony to the rather patchy education dependent entirely on the skill and willingness of village priests.

\- 'That is not an issue, I'll help you along.'

As she spoke she leaned down to collect the registration form and placed it in front of the youth.

\- 'Can you get your superior?'

The voice did not belong to the youth, it was deeper, harsher. The guild receptionist did not look up and simply answered.

-'Please wait your turn. Thank you. First if you can give me your name...'

She got no further as the sound of metal hitting wood sounded in the guild hall, making her and the youth start in surprise while the few remaining adventures looked up from their matters to the source of the sound.

An armoured fist rested on the counter top. It belonged to a dark form, dark cloth, dark mail and helm, though that may have simply been the thick layer of dust covering his person. His face was hidden by the shadow cast by the brim of his helmet and the mail standard covering what was not.

\- 'I have arrived at your guilds request and was asked to report as soon as possible. Please inform your superiors of my arrival.'

He spoke as if their previous interaction had not occurred. The smile on the receptionists face disappeared replaced by a frown at the interruption and glanced around. Noting with annoyance she was the only receptionist present she sighed and pressed a button to call for another guild worker. Nothing happened and she glanced down making sure she actually pressed down on the button, she had.

\- 'It won't work, you need to go in person.

A sudden headache made her sigh at the annoyance of the newcomer and looked at him with none of the professional politeness that was required of her.

\- 'And who am I to say is come?'

Though she could see nothing of his face she could swear from the tone of his voice that the guest was smirking.

\- 'The problem solver.'

* * *

\- 'I trust your journey was not too arduous?'  
\- 'No more than expected.'

That was as much of the conversation as the secretary heard before the guild supervisor made it clear, with a glare and slight head movement, that she was to leave. Huffing in annoyance she left the drink and did as told. Once the door closed behind her the supervisor sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair and once more looked the self declared "problem solver" over.

The gauntlets and helmet had come off which did little too improve the overall quality of the image before him, the skin was drawn tight and the shadows under the guests eyes drew to mind a skull while the stubble covering his jaw brought to mind a brigand or other bandits and the supervisor found himself wondering if under the coif the slayer had his hair in the manner assosciated with such groups.

The impression the guest made was not helped by the heavy horse smell that hung around him and was now slowly filling the room nor by the thick layer of dust covering the man and the supervisor winced at the thought of it being rubbed into one of his high backed chairs. He made a brief mental note to have the chair thoroughly cleaned after his guest had left and focused on making it happen as soon as possible.

\- 'You are the Wizard Slayer?'  
\- 'A wizard slayer.'

The guest corrected. The supervisor grunted to show he understood and shifted in his own chair.

\- 'How much do you know of the situation?'

The wizard slayer leaned back in the chair, the supervisor wincing slightly as he could almost see the dirt being ground into it, and crossed his arms as he replied.

\- 'This cities mage school has cut itself off and ignored all attempts to restore contact. The party that went to investigate vanished and you heard nothing more from it. Has anything else occurred since?'  
\- 'No. Once we've informed Head Office we held back and focused on ensuring nobody suspected anything was amiss.'

The wizard slayer nodded.

\- 'My guild sent a letter, requesting you prepare any plans of the building you could.'

The supervisor shook his head.

\- 'Unfortunately the Mage Guild built their school without any outside aid and are the sole possessors of any proper plans or maps. What little we have has been collected and will be brought to you.'

The wizard slayer leaned forward, resting his chin on his left hand.

\- 'Unfortunate. What about the missing party? Have they left any information before they disappeared?'

The supervisor shook his head.

\- 'No, not with us in any case nor have we find any information they might have left elsewhere.'

The wizard slayer clicked his tongue in obvious annoyance.

\- 'So I have to investigate everything from the start.'

The supervisor was uncertain whether he was meant to answer, and if so how but it seemed he was not expected to as the slayer sat straight, emptied the cup left for him and stood up collecting his kit.

\- 'I'll get to work. If I find anything worth reporting I shall do so.'  
\- 'I see...'

The supervisor started to speak only to stop as he realized he was talking to the slayers back.

* * *

Despite his seeming urge to get to work the agents sent to keep an eye on their guest reported his first steps were to the stables where he investigated the state of his horse and saddle bags. Apparently he was satisfied as he tossed the stable boy a quarter penny before taking his bags to the room he had rented. After that he visited the bathhouse and ate a hearty dinner before returning to his room and that was all seen of him till the following morning.

The agents reported that the following day he spent most of the morning in casual clothing walking around the city, especially in the parts near the mage school before he started walking into taverns, in each sharing a drink and conversation with the patrons and it was around this point that the agent lost sight of the wizard slayer.

It was the guild receptionist that reported the slayers arrival in the guild where he spoke with several porcelain ranked adventurers, some briefly, others for lengthy periods before disappearing once again. The agent that broke into the guests room found the arms and armour gone and a wax tablet left open on the bed with what turned out to be the slayers report written down.

The guild supervisor read the contents with a grim face before ordering the room restored to as it was left by the slayer and began to wonder whether he would not be forced to report the disappearance of another adventurer soon.

* * *

Water dripped from dozens of places creating a seemingly never ending cacophony of sound. Just a foot to his right a river of filth slowly weaved by making the air reek. A rodent paused as it came into the light cast by his lamp before quickly scurrying away, a normal sized rat fortunately.

The wizard slayer paused and pulled free a map of the sewers and studied it, glanced over his shoulder as if the action would make it easier for him to remember how far he had gone before, nodding to himself, he put the map away and continued his march.

'A pox on the one who invented sewers.' he thought grimly to himself as he heard, smelled and felt the filth squish under his boots, expensive boots. Boots made of good leather that gave good traction and still allowed his footfall be almost silent, he was not looking forward to cleaning them afterward.

Still there had seemed to be no other way. He saw no entrance to the mage school from the outside nor did it seem the missing party had done so either, which meant the either magicked in or entered from below. It was also possible they left for corners of the world uncharted but that seemed highly unlikely so he assumed they had found a way into the school.

The porcelains helped him here as they knew more of sewer system than most, what with most of them earning a living by clearing them of over sized vermin. It was just a case of finding the ones who were willing to talk. With some it was enough to ask as most adventurers are rather prone to boasting but others had to be payed for their time but finally he had found what he was looking for.

Wizards always protected their interests, much like any other group in truth, but they had different means of doing so and while tall walls were mandatory it would always be better if any potential threats couldn't get to the wall in the first place. And much like he had expected the closer one was to the sewers underneath the school the more "odd", for a lack of a better term, things became.

The asked adventurers reported they found themselves where they had started despite constantly moving forward, or they found themselves in completely different parts of the city than they had expected. Yes, mages liked their little tricks but he had learned well what to expect.

He felt it, a dull throbbing in his skull most would say was a migraine but he knew otherwise, he knew it meant he was getting close as the magic in the area grew stronger so did his headache, one of the many perks of being a wizard slayer he thought without amusement.

His vision grew blurry the further he went and sounds started assaulting him and he could not be certain which were real and which suggestions offered by defensive spells, he found himself pausing occasionally to wipe the sweat from his brow and rub weary eyes but he kept going even as his feet began to protest as if he were dragging them in thick, clay-like mud before, with a sound resembling a pierced bladder, he was free.

He spat, coughed and spat again. The magic the school had placed around their building was powerful and he briefly wondered whether the previous party had really managed to get through.

He would soon find out he decided as he turned a corner and came face to face with a wall. A door to be more precise, carved in stone to resemble a face it glared at him as if demanding to know by what right he was here. Spitting again he glanced down to the muck slowly streaming by and saw what he expected, a massive grate blocking that entry, no doubt reaching the bottom to stop anyone from getting in that way. He turned back to the door and frowned.

\- 'Friend?'

He offered. Nothing happened and he smiled self deprecatingly, it would be too simply if they had left the default password in place unless…

He lifted a hand to touch the door and was surprised to see it swing back. A normal door? At a mage school? Unlikely, more likely it had been drained of magic prior. True his very presence sometimes removed magic from artifacts but he doubted it would work on the entry to a magical academy… perhaps the missing adventurers had done so?

In the end it was irrelevant. He glanced past the door and saw nothing but stairs leading up and a light flickering at the top. Stepping back into the shadows he put out his lamp, fastened the mail so it covered his face and drew his dagger before slowly making his way to and up the stairs. The short distance seemed to take a long time to cover as he used all his senses in the hopes of noticing any danger first, however having been in the sewers he heard before he smelled what lay ahead.

Flies buzzed about, landing briefly on carcasses only to lift into the air again. Chunks of flesh that had some point must have been bodies littered the ground in seeming random heaps, their skin had gone green and the blood long gone brown. The stench of rot hung in the air.

His left went instinctively up to cover his nose but he forced it down and glanced around, hoping nothing had seen his movement.

Stench. Buzzing. Nothing more. Slowly the wizard slayer left the stairway. He was in a small room, probably nothing more than an entry point from the school to the sewers as well as a good way to isolate the smells from the rest of the academy. Seeing the room was empty and the only door shut he glanced down to the flesh. The decay was well along and he couldn't glean anything noteworthy from the corpse pile, the brief thought to investigate was dismissed at the seething mass of maggots and the knowledge that any previous adventures would have picked it clean as the scavengers so many of them were.

With nothing else he slowly moved to the door and listened, hearing nothing new he reached for the handle and slowly pushed it down.

* * *

Whistle and thud.

That was all the warning she got before the arrow sprouted from the beam a scant foot from her head.

\- 'Keep moving!'

She needed no encouragement and ran faster than she had ever run in her life. Arrows whistled around them as the enemy shot at them from their hidden positions. Her lungs burned and her legs ached but the light ahead promised salvation.

So close. Only one last obstacle, a steep slope so easily crossed a scant hour ago now seemed a formidable obstacle. Her friend bound ahead and managed to reach the top and turned round.

\- 'Hurry!'

She did. She reached the base and bound up, loose soil giving way under her feat she nearly reached the top before too much ground gave way and she fell.  
She cried out, more surprise than fear as the ground gave way and she fell down into the dark. Her fingers were bleeding and no doubt the rest of her body was also battered. She wanted nothing more than to lay there and catch her breath, perhaps rest a moment…

Laughter.

Mocking laughter and shrieks of joy in a guttural language she did not understand and she forced herself up to her feet and began to scramble up the slope again, sand and pebbles giving way under her weight she never the less made her way up.

The laughing creatures were closer now and she dared not look back for fear how what she would see.

\- 'Nearly there! Grab my hand!'

She looked up and felt tears form, she was so close. One last effort and she would be saved, all she had to do was reach out and grab that hand.

She paused, something was not right.

-'What are you doing!? Take my hand!'

She should lest she fall, lest they take her and yet… something was wrong. She wasn't in a cave, was she? No.

-'Hurry!'

She looked up again… this wasn't right, his face was not right. She saw…

Screams of pain, the stench of ozone. The fighter on the floor, screaming, screaming in a way she never knew a man could possibly scream as the flesh slid off his skull.

-'Give me your damned hand!'

The voice snarled and lashed towards her, she flinched and the slope disappeared from under her and she fell into the darkness…

She vomited. There was nothing in her stomach so all that came was bile and air but she was shook by spasms as reality crashed down on her.

-'She is stubborn, just force the change and be done with it.'  
-'You know as well as I the process yields better results if the host submits.'

She remembered. She remembered everything and a sob escaped her throat as she flinched away from the voices, scurried on naked, scabbed knees and hands away from them, as far away as the cage allowed.

\- 'No matter. Another night will probably break her.'

The owner of the first voice shrugged and turned to leave followed by the other leaving her alone in the darkness and with her thoughts as the memories tore into her anew.

It was supposed the be so wonderful. Investigate the mage school, find out why they had severed ties with the outside world and, if possible, resolve the problem and enjoy the rewards of a job well done. Such a job was to be no trouble for such a collection of seasoned adventurers and indeed all did go well. She soon discovered the only way in was underground and the casters soon worked out how to counter the magical protections in place and then… and then there was a series of corridors and rooms, desecrated, and the pitiful remains of those who had been in the school.

Yet they carved through all opposition, proved to be more cunning than the traps and barriers in their way and it seemed it only a matter of time till the matter ended with their triumph.

The ranger was the first. He slipped on the filth coating the floor and before he regained his balance it was on him. He screamed, once, before those yellowed fangs sank into his neck and tore out his throat. It all went quickly after that, the priest lashed out with his hammer, sending his enemies down with each blow but they kept at him till he vanished under their sheer numbers. She couldn't recall what happened to the mage other than that scream and a sudden force that knocked her and the warrior to the ground and then… A sob tore out as she drew her limbs in close, closed her eyes and dug her fingers into her head as if hoping to tear out the sight of flesh sliding, sliding off leaving bare bone as he screamed and screamed.

She moaned a wordless moan of despair and rocked back and forth, for how long she did not know but she stopped when she more sensed than heard it.

The door had opened, ever so slightly but the light beyond was blinding compared to the darkness she had been left in.

She felt panic rise, had they returned? So soon? She pushed back against the bars desperately trying to put as much distance between them as she could in a blind hope of delaying the inevitable.

She realized something was wrong. They never opened the door but a crack only to slide in silently nor did they care to shut it so cautiously. As she looked she realized even the shape was wrong. It seemed to glide towards the cage and crouched opposite her.

\- 'Still alive?'

His voice betrayed more surprise than anything else and the sound of it could not be viewed as a pleasant but it was not their voices. The owner, she saw, dressed all in dark cloth and metal, armoured and armed peered at her with what sort of eyes she could not tell, hidden as they were behind the dark slits cut into his helmet.

\- 'You're real?'

She hazarded, terrified by how her voice sounded.

\- 'Yes.' - came the answer, - 'Are you of the party that first took this job?'

\- 'You're from the guild?'

She more stated than asked and felt as if the crushing grip on her heart had loosened.

\- 'Thank the earth mother you're from the guild!'

A part chided herself. It was a trick, it had to be. Soon something would betray the enemy and the realization that she was alone would come back, all the more crushing.

And yet she hoped.

The figure raised a finger to where his mouth would be in a request for silence and she obliged. The man pulled an oiled cloth from a small pouch and unrolled it on the floor she soon saw what it was and the hope grew as the man inserted a pick and blade into the lock and began to probe.

Neither said anything and the only sound was that metal clinking as he worked and finally the strained sound of the lock being pulled back.

She jolted as the lock escaped the mans grip and he cursed wordlessly and looked to the door and she followed his gaze. Nothing, just darkness, the distant drip of liquid and the buzz of flies and the two crouching, looking to the door with breath held in anticipation of someone, something, hearing that sound and coming to investigate.

He looked away first to fish out another pick and began fiddling with the lock again. His movement drew her attention away and she observed him in silence before, slowly, she pushed herself to her knees and crawled to the door. He paused, the slight sound of metal hitting metal showing he had turned his attention to her but he said nothing and soon continued working on the lock. She crawled close and placed and ear to the lock and closed her eyes.

\- 'A bit deeper.'

He paused again and she could swear she had heard him take in a breath to speak, but chose not too and he continued his work.

\- 'Too far.'

Another pause but she heard the pick slide back soon after.

\- 'There.'

The sound of the lock protesting at such treatment was heard again only this time it ended with it locking open and the man pulled the bars back.

\- 'You are of the party sent to investigate the mage school?'

He asked again.

\- 'Yes I… I am.'

Her voice caught as she saw "that" again and closed her eyes as if hoping that the action would block out the memory. So occupied she did not notice the man slowly take his hand off his dagger and instead move to put his lock-pick away.

\- 'What can you tell me about the enemy?'

She opened her eyes and her hands moved from her head to grip her arms, as if to shield herself.

\- 'They… they're mages, students I think. Most of the dead have been turned undead and…'

She paused, shuddering with revulsion and barely suppressed fear.

\- '… and things. Abominations.'  
\- 'Daemons?'

He asked. She hesitated before slowly shaking her head.

\- 'No… at least not any that I recognized as such nor did our… our cleric see them as such.'

\- 'Spawns then?'

The man asked, more himself than her and she noted that there seemed a hint of relief in his voice.

\- 'You're here to clear the school, right? To purge it?'

\- 'If possible.'

He answered as he stood up and took a few steps aside, looking through a pile of ruined furniture and other rubbish.

\- 'No offense but looking at your lockpicking skills I don't think your parties level is high enough….'  
\- 'I am the party.'

He answered with something resembling indignation in his voice, the words leaving her speechless. In the silence he continued to shift through the rubbish before pulling out a length of cloth that at some point might have been a rug.

\- 'It's not much but probably better than nothing.'

He said as he handed it to her. She looked down and remembered that they had stripped her bare. She extended a hand as if to take the cloth but instead gripped his wrist.

\- 'You have to turn back! You'll be lucky if they only kill you.'

He pulled himself free of her grip and tossed the cloth at her.

\- 'Once you're out the door go right to the end of the corridor and right again. Down the stairs and the third door leads to the sewer.'

He said, not acknowledging her words in the slightest. He turned as if to leave but stopped and turned back, pulling a knife from some hidden scabbard and tossing it on the cloth.

\- 'Better than nothing.'

He said as he left. The darkness seemed all the heavier, the silence unbearable. She gripped the knife tightly till it pained her. Without the other adventurer she was alone with her thoughts again and the memories. She looked to the knife again before lifting it to her throat.

* * *

He smelled it before he heard it. A sweet stench, nauseatingly so. Soon after shuffling, the buzz of flies and a low groan. He crouched low in the gloom of the schools corridors and waited. The undead shuffled into view and it took some effort to stop himself from flinching as it turned around and began shuffling down the corridor. His hand tightened on his dagger as he waited, nerves on edge, ready to pounce. The undead paused, shifted its head this way and that, a single eye, seemingly blind, sweeping the area before it turned and shuffled away.

Slowly he relaxed and once the corpse had shuffled out of sight he moved again. Keeping to the shadows as much as he could he passed scorch marks on the walls, dried blood and other stains he assumed he'd rather not know the source of. Reaching a meeting point he hesitated only a moment before choosing a path.

Another corridor, stained, scorched, a few shattered doors leading to empty rooms but he paused at a door that was intact. He stood for a moment, glanced up and down the corridor before slowly reaching to the handle and pushing it down, wincing at the sound before quickly sliding through the gap.

It stank. Of sweat, feces and blood. It was also darker than the corridor and it took a moment for his eyes to grow accustomed.

\- 'Who're you?'

Voice. Female. Even pleasant to the ear and he looked in the direction it sounded from, his eyes had grown accustomed so he could make out details now. Much like the rest of the building it was heavily damaged, naked brick showing through the walls whitewash, burn marks and stains here and there with what used to be furniture littering the floor.

The voice had come from the far end of the room where bars blocked off a part of the room behind which two naked shapes peered at him, unlike the previous room this cage was open.

-'And you?

He asked by way of answer. The two shapes, one male the other female and both probably human, looked at each other before the male answered.

-'We're whats left of our party. We were investigating the school but… well we failed.'

-'You did.'

He answered, his hand dropping from the hilt of his weapon as he started moving to the two.

\- 'I was sent to investigate after your lot went missing.'

\- 'Thank the gods! We managed to open the cage but didn't know what to do now that we did.'

The female said in a loud whisper as she moved to him, hands outstretched as if to embrace him only to pause, face twisting as if she'd encountered something unpleasant.

His hand jumped back to the hilt and the blade hissed as it left the scabbard and in a swift motion thrust it though her abdomen, the liver and catching the lung before coming out the other end. Blood splattered to the floor as he twisted the blade and the womans face contorted in pain.

Only it wasn't a womans face any more.

The eyes were too large, too bright. The nose had disappeared replaced by two narrow slits and thin lips pulled back to reveal a mouth full of small fangs. A hiss escaped the creatures throat as it reached out with fingers ending in claws and the Wizard Slayer stepped back, pulling the blade free. Without the blade in it it was as if all strength had fled the creature and it collapsed with a moan, moving feebly on the floor.

No time to pause. Shift your feet. Blade up. Attack. The other creature hissed as it fell back and the man followed with a thrust which the creature dodged to the side, muscles tensing. To attack? Flee? It didn't matter.

Move your wrist, bring the blade round and twist your hips to put as much force into the attack as possible. He caught the creature where a human would have its temple, blood flowing freely from the wound the creature staggered, hand raising up and began to shift its weight to regain it's balance, the man was faster.

He shifted his feet and thrust forward, punching through the creatures neck, twisting the blade before pulling it free in a spray of blood and stepped back. The creature gurgled, hand gripping its neck and took a staggered step forward before collapsing face first to the floor where it twitched as it died.

The wizard slayer breathed out and wiped the blood off the blade before kneeling to better inspect the creatures.

Strange things, he mused, almost like a doppler but not quit… a subspecies? Something else? His musings were cut short at the sound of the door being thrust open and he turned to the sound, body tensing.

-'I told you I sensed something.'

\- 'Yes, you were right. Some rodent is indeed poking around.'

Two shapes, hooded and robed as academy students, entered the room and the wizard slayer stood.

\- 'Shall I or do you want the pleasure?'  
\- 'You can do it, just remember to keep him alive.'

The other shape responded and the first lifted a hand and began chanting. The wizard slayer moved, bounding at the two figures.

The chant suddenly stopped as the chanter started coughing.

-'What are you doing!'  
-'I don't know! The words just...'  
-'Step aside!'

The other shape pushed past the first, thrust out her hand and began to chant. Power rose through her, gathering and flowing to her hand as she concentrated on the intruder and it was gone, replaced with a pained yelp. It had felt as if the magic had been simply torn from her and she stared numbly at her hand as if seeking an answer, a pointless act that lasted a crucial second.

Than there was pain as steel punched through her gut drawing a scream as the pain shifted to agony. The wizard slayer twisted the blade as he pulled it free and brought it around, slashing with the point across the mages neck, sending her stumbling back with a gurgle before she hit the wall and slid down, hands clamping on the wound as her feet kicked feebly.

Before she had fallen the wizard slayer turned to the other, blade swinging high, only to see the shape disappear out the room, he followed.

Despite her head start the wizard slayer was catching up, a fact that drew a scream from the mage after she glanced over her shoulder, the fear giving her more strength to run and soon she disappeared round a corner, the wizard slayer followed a moment later only to slide to a sharp stop.

A wheeze came from the zombies ruined throat as it reached to the wizard slayer, the man lashing out and well honed steel parted rotting flesh and bone with little trouble. The undead, of course, showed no sign of discomfort as it's hand separated from its body and lurched at its opponent, gripping him with one hand and hitting him with the stump of the other, rotten fluid smearing over the mail, as it opened its jaw and threw itself forward. The wizard slayer hissed wordlessly, brought back his free hand and hammered the pommel into the undeads nose.

Bone shattered and the zombies entire body lurched back under the blow. The man used the sudden shift to pull back, grip the undeads arm and with a twist threw it down. The knees made an unpleasant sound as they hit the floor and the wizard slayer lifted his weapon up and brought it down, the blade parting flesh and bone again and the undeads head parted ways with its body. Even as its head bounced on the floor the zombie tried to stand before going limp and falling to the floor.

Even as that happened the second undead lurched forward and gripped the wizard slayer and he shifted his weight in an effort to break free, the zombie stumbled and fell, still with a firm grip on the man and pulled him down with it. Fortunately the zombie hit the ground first meaning it was the wizard slayer that pinned it down, the undead ribs cracking under the impact. Nevertheless the zombie reacted sooner to the situation and clamped its jaw on his arm, teeth scrapping on his gauntlet.

The wizard slayer pushed as far back as he could and brought the weapon up before slamming it down. The pommel struck the skull, tearing rotten flesh and cracking the bone but little else so he brought it up and slammed the pommel down again, and again and again till bone and rotten brain began to shower the area and the undead went limp.

With a weary sigh the wizard slayer broke the undeads jaw to free his captured hand before yanking the zombies hand from the grip it still held, fingers snapping under the strain. Thus free he stood and took a deep breath. Things had taken a turn for the worse, he noted as he looked round. Obviously the mage had escaped and was no doubt sounding the alarm.

As if to confirm that the sound of moaning and many shuffling feet sounded and the wizard slayer hesitated a moment before moving down the corridor, away from the sound.

* * *

\- 'Is that him?'

The wizard slayer groaned inwardly as the voice declared that yes, they have noticed him and yes, they were ready.

He found himself in a large room, one that reminded him of a theater. A half circle littered with benches no doubt once lined up in orderly rows but now scattered bout in a chaotic manner while at the far end was a raised podium on which three robed figures stood.

\- 'Yes that him! He killed….'  
\- 'That hardly matters.'

The wizard slayer moved towards the trio, blade in scabbard as he pulled a length of rope free from round his waist, his other hand moving to a pouch.

\- 'What matters is that he is interrupting our mission and that you were too weak to stop him...'

\- 'No.'

The third figure spoke and everything went silent. The figure speaking till now, the rising protest of the one being berated and even the wizard slayers steps as he stopped moving, surprising him. The word came as if a physical force, spoken by one entirely confident in oneself. Behind his helmet the wizard slayer's eye's narrowed as he measured the distance between him and the mage.

\- 'This fool is an odd one, an aura like this... that you can not sense it is telling of your limits.'

The wizard slayer pulled free a lead shot, thrust it into the slings pocket and with a quick motion slung it at the one speaking. The shot hissed as it cut through the air and the trio flinched as the chair behind them was flung back under the force of the impact.

Hissing with annoyance the wizard slayer bounded the distance separating them drawing steel as he did, causing a panicked yelp from the one closest.

The other two raised their hands and began to chant and channeling power ready to tear apart the fool that came at them so openly.

The further coughed and spat, looking at her hand in confusion. The central continued to chant and several balls of light flew from his hand, sailing with blinding speed at the wizard slayer. The mage smiled, the fool would not even have time to flinch before they hit him and… keep going.

\- 'How?'

His companion voiced his own thoughts, one he quickly found an answer to.

\- 'Magical shield no doubt. I shall dispel it and you strike him then.'  
\- 'Yes master.'

The two confirmed as the central figure once again began to form words of power and slung it at the approaching fool, the other two readying their own spells only to once again find the words torn from their throats causing another fit of coughing.

The central mage looked to his companions before looking back to the fool, could he actually…

The wizard slayer had lept onto the podium leaving no time to finish the thought, rather he had to act. Gripping his disciple to the right he flung her at the attacker.

There was a shriek cut short as the wizard slayer lashed out, blood following the blade as it cut through the mage, her body hitting the floor a mere moment later and she tried to scream but all that came out was a gurgle from her ruined throat. This did however force the wizard slayer to stop and the mage used that time to grab the left hand disciple be the arm and pulled the surprised girl closer before digging the fingers of his other hand into her skull and begin chanting words of power.  
She screamed. A wordless scream of pure agony as her hair slid off her skull, as her skin began to ripple and bubble, bloating greatly before bursting.

The mage jumped back, arms raised to shield himself from the skin, blood, puss, bone and everything else meant to be on the inside showered the area while the wizard slayer paused at the sight.

The thing standing where the girl had been was short and thin, gray skin pink from blood and from beneath strips of human flesh one could see long sinewy limbs. Eyes seemed to shine as it glared at its surroundings, its thin lips pulled back to present impressive fangs.

A cousin to the things he had met earlier? The wizard slayer thought, though he quickly noticed it was shorter, poorly proportioned with one arm and a tentacle where the other arm should have been. Three eyes glared with hate and loathing at its surroundings and when it opened its mouth no words came out but rather a hiss.

He moved, crossing the distance between himself and the creature and thrusting forward. The creature flinched back from the blade, the she-mages flesh sliding off its form as it did. The wizard slayer took another step and a movement of his wrist made the blade move round in a quick cut to the creatures head. It jumped back, avoiding contact and growled as it crouched, tentacle whipping round much like a tail.

\- 'What are you waiting for!? Kill him!'

The mage shouted, gesticulating in the wizard slayers direction, who had taken a step back, blade held in a low guard. The creature snarled and with a twist of its hips and swift elbow movement struck the mage. The was a brief flash of light and mage staggered back. The creature snarled as it struck again and this time there was no light and the mage was struck with enough force that he landed on the floor below the podium.

Surprised the wizard slayer hesitated till the creature turned and lunged at him. A step back and he brought the blade up in a low cut. The creature swerved on its feet, gripping the incoming blade with its tentacle while attacking with its hand, catching the wizard slayers head with more force than one would expect from its small form staggering the man.

The creature pulled the sword from his grip, tossing it aside before lunging forward, gripping the wizard slayer by the head and knocking him to the floor. Dazed by the blows it was only the pain from his neck twisting further than the gods intended that jolted him from his stupor into a panic as he realized the creature had latched onto his neck and head. It was as if it could not decide whether it wanted to strangle him or snap his neck and so chose to do both. He fought.

His feet kicked out hitting nothing. An attempt to throw the creature off resulted in nothing as the creature held firmly. His hands gripped the creatures limbs and tried to tear them away doing little more than slow the speed with which his neck twisted.

Fortunately the panic faded and he forced himself to tear a hand free and instead search for his dagger, draw it and place it against one of his opponents limbs.

The pull cut went through the creatures skin and flesh, the creature howling out in pain, its grip loosening enough for the wizard slayer to return his head to its proper position. The enemy in his sight and reeling from his attack his free hand lashed out gripping the wound he had just delivered it, digging his fingers into the bloody mess and twisting his grip.

This time it screamed and tried to free itself from the wizard slayers grip, he did not let it.

He half pushed and was half pulled after the creature, one hand still digging into it's wound while the one wielding the dagger jumped up, biting deep into its neck. Blood gushed free from the wound and more followed with each movement of his hand as he sawed through more of the creature flesh before coming free. The creature gurgled as it staggered before collapsing to the floor, the wizard slayer barely stopping himself from following its example.

The stood, bent over the creature as it shook in its final convulsions, one hand unclasping the length of mail covering his face to better breath. Standing he wiped the dagger as clean as he could and put it away before looking for his sword. Gripping it tightly he looked around the area and realized two things, both bad.

The first was the sight of the mage that had summoned, and had been swatted aside by, the creature ran out of the room through a door. The other was that through a different door a large number of undead shambled in and were currently moving to where he was.

The wizard slayer groaned in annoyance, looked to the ceiling in mute protest before moving.

* * *

'This is all wrong!' - he thought as he limped down the corridor, - 'This is not what was promised!'

It was all supposed to be so different. His patron promised him power, wealth… Respect! All in exchange for a task. It was not his fault! It was not his fault so few listened to him. It's not his fault so many had to be killed. It's not his fault he was surrounded by incompetent weaklings. It's not his fault the fool did not follow the laws of magic and refused to die when ordered to!

It's. Not. His. Fault!

He limped as fast as he could down the dark corridors, racing for his office and the tools he had there, everything he needed to fix this... this mess. To save the situation! He just needed to escape this place, the undead could deal with the fool. Yes. Flood the lecture hall with the undead and whatever cheat the fool had used would avail him little against their numbers. "Nec hercules contra plures" after all.

But after that, what? This was the second time someone interrupted him, might there be a third? They would no doubt be better prepared and each attack had weakened him. Perhaps leaving would be the best course of action? Rebuild his strength elsewhere and return to this city once he was properly ready with an army at his back and new acolytes to serve.

So deep in his thoughts he only realized something was amiss when an explosion of pain dominated all else and he staggered forward with a cry. He turned and felt another stab of pain. A woman wearing what looked to be a rug pulled back a bloodstained knife as if to strike again.

It was his blood.

He roared a wordless roar of rage at the thought, power flaring from him as a physical force and his assailant was flung back, slamming against a wall with a crack.

-'Fool!'

He snarled at the limp form.

\- 'Did you honestly think you could stop me? ME!?'

The last came out as a shriek, all the anger, fear, frustration and hate coming out in the sound. Breathing heavily he wiped his face with a shaking hand before turning to leave. His legs folded under him and his knees protested the sudden landing.

He looked down and stared in numb disbelief at the small tear in his robe just below his ribs, the area was stained red. The stain spread further, an uneven line spreading all the way down to a small puddle on the floor.

A whimper escaped his throat as he pressed his hands to the wound all anger fleeing replaced by fear at the sudden reminder of his own mortality, warm blood squeezing past his fingers and joining that already on the floor.

This was not right! This is not how it was supposed to be! This was wrong!

He forced himself to tear a hand away from the wound and reached to the pouch at his side. At first he pushed aside the contents looking for what he sought before flinging the contents out. Ink pot, quill, wax, bottles… Yes!

A groan as he felt broken glass and pulled it free, fearful of it being that and sighed in relief when it was not, throwing the broken glass aside he looked again and released a bark of laughter as he pulled free a healing potion only to stop short at another obstacle, like most the flask was secured with wax.

Loath to remove the hand pressing at the wound he first pried the wax in an awkward one handed grip before clenching the bottle with his knees and tore at it there, with little success he took to tearing at it with his teeth.

He would not die here. Could not! So much had been promised, he would not die!

Thud.

He paused and looked up.

Thud.

He groaned and tried to stand only to fall again. He could hear it clearly now. The thud of fast paced steps, the creak of leather and jingle of metal.

His hand moved, blood flowing freely from the wound once more as he tore in desperation at the wax, his breath becoming more ragged as the panic rose, his eyes straying to the corridor behind him as the sounds become louder, clearer, Closer!

He screamed as the monster came round the corner, the bottle falling from his hands. Dark clothes, dark armour and no sign of humanity in the dark slits where his eyes should be. The steel head turned as if drawn by the sound and the mage watched in horrid fascination as drops of blood tore away from the gore streaked surface, glint a moment in the faint light only to shatter on the floor. The monster turned and stepped toward him and the mage tried to stand only to fall flat.

'This isn't right.' - he thought as he stretched a hand out. -'This shouldn't happen.' - he dragged himself across the floor. - 'I was promised something else.' - he reached out with his other hand - 'This is not right!' - he pulled himself across the floor - 'NOT RIGHT!'

Something hit him in the back, drawing a cry of pain. A hand gripped his hair and lifted his body up.

\- 'Please. No.'

He more whispered than said. He felt something press to his neck and a sharp pain and than he felt nothing more.

* * *

The wizard slayer held the corpse up for a moment as the blood spurted from the slit throat before dropping the still convulsing body. Stepping back from the corpse he wiped the blood from his blade and looked round the corner he had come from and noted with some satisfaction that the undead pursuing him were now falling down as the magic that held them together faded. Nodding to himself he sheathed his weapon and walked over to the woman's form, stopping to pick up the knife that he had lent her.

\- 'You should have left this place.'

He said as he knelt next to her, wiping the blood off the small blade.

\- 'Leave?'

Her voice was more a whisper than anything and he had to lean in to hear it.

\- 'How could I leave after what I saw… what they did?'  
\- 'You'd get over it, as most do.'

He answered even as he gripped her jaw and forced her head up and looked intently at her face. Green eyes, freckles… altogether not a very attractive woman but human without a doubt, not one of those things.

He stood up, sheathing the knife as he did and walked back to the corpse before patting it down, pulling out anything that seemed valuable and found several glass vials. He had no way of knowing what was in them but he assumed the mage would have carried at least one healing potion on him and he knew he would be expected to give it to her.

But what if the mage hadn't carried any? What of they were something else entirely, something that would make the situation dangerous for him? Was doing what was expected worth the risk? It's not like there were any witnesses.

He glanced back and made his decision.

* * *

**So when Goblin Slayer first came out my first thought was along the lines of: "So he's like a Wizard Slayer but with goblins?" For those who don't know a Wizard Slayer was one of the specializations for a Baldur's Gate 2 fighter and one of my favourites, even if he wasn't as good at killing magic users as his name would suggest...**

**Still the similarity made me think of how such a character might function in the GS world hence the above story.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

-'What am I to do now?'

No one answered the youths question, lest one consider the sound of rain hitting the earth, the trees, his hood and the two bodies lying in the mud an answer.

He glanced away from the bodies and to his hand where he still held his axe, the rain slowly rinsing the blood off.

This was bad. This road was meant to lead him to a new life, the gateway to his rise to heights his family would never have considered possible! Not in murder and he fully knew what the punishment for murder was.

As such when he heard movement behind him the youth turned sharply, and gave a panicked squeal.

\- 'No! This isn't… I didn't...'

-'No?'

Came the reply from the hooded and cloaked figure leaning in the saddle, the rouncey he rode immediately lowering its head to nibble at the grass.

\- 'Tell me than what could have possibly happened here where I find a youth, bloodied axe in hand, standing over the bodies of a man and woman?'

The voice was male and so unpleasantly condescending that the youth actually found some anger to spur him.

-'They attacked me!'

Perhaps frightened by his own tone the youth paused, licked his lips and spoke again.

\- 'He, the man, ran up and said his sister had twisted her leg and asked for help.'

The hooded man did not move nor did he speak which the youth took as permission to continue.

\- 'So I kneel near her to see her leg but I noticed her looking over me at something so I turned and saw him draw that and swing at me!'

He paused to point at a seax lying in the grass next to the road.

\- 'I barely dodged and got my axe out and he came at me and I… I...'

-'Killed him.'

The man offered, sitting straight in saddle. The youth did not answer, his eyes drawn to the glint of metal from under the strangers cloak and the tell tale shape of a hilt.

-'The girl?'

The man prompted and the youth started as he stuttered a reply.

\- 'As he… fell she shrieked something terrible and jumped me! I struck and she… she was….'

\- 'Indeed.'

The man said as he dismounted and walked to the bodies, the youth instinctively taking a step back as though the hooded man was not all that much taller than he was there was a kind of casual menace about him, much like those soldiers he had once seen ride through the village.

\- 'Is that...'

The man started to speak but stopped and knelt next to the corpse before standing and, much to the youths surprise, let out a short bark of a laugh.

\- 'I bet you two never expected to die like this! Cut down holding up a brat!'

It took the youth a moment to realize that hooded man was not talking to him but the bodies.

\- 'You… you know them sir?'

He found himself asking slowly, the man turning back to him.

\- 'Oh aye. Well, not really but they were husband and wife… who knows maybe even brother and sister as in some of these piss-pot hamlets and villages one does not exclude the other and they were brigands beside that. There favorite method was holding up travelers, the girl pretending to be in danger while the man stabbed them in the back.'

As the youth listened his jaw dropped and looked from the man to the bodies before looking back to the man.

-'So… I'm not in trouble?'

The hooded man stood still for a moment before letting out another bark of a laugh.

\- 'No lad, far from it. Fortunate is a better word what with you surviving an ambush of two known murderers and thieves as well as killing those with the wolf's head on them.'

\- 'Wolf's head?'

The boy repeated the phrase and glanced to the, absolutely normal, heads on the brigands before understanding.

\- 'You mean they're...'

\- 'Aye lad. Cut off their heads and take them to the nearest town and the bailiff will more like than not pay you a bounty for them. They're famous enough.'

His eyes wide open the youth looked to the bodies scarce believing his good fortune. All he had to do was cut off the heads and… He paused, looked to the bloodied axe still in hand and doubled over, his guts heaving out his breakfast.

The cloaked man had turned around and was walking to his horse but paused when he heard this before turning round and walking back to the youth, placing a hand on the heaving youths back.

\- 'Let it out lad, let it out. I take it this was your first time killing people?'

The youth nodded weakly.

\- 'You'll get over it, as most do.'

The man said as he looked to the bodies again before turning back to the youth who was now wiping his mouth with a shaking hand.

\- 'Tell you what, for a small fee I'll take those heads off for you.'

\- 'I… I only have a few pence.'

The youth answered silently causing the man to raise an armoured hand to his chin.

\- 'Well than for a percentage of the wolf's head than, I'll even help you take them to town.'

Without waiting for a reply the man turned and walked to the bodies, humming a tune as he did. The youth could only look after him as he struggled with all the new information assailing him and so nearly jumped when the cloaked man turned round to him and held out a hand.

\- 'Oh, lend me your axe please. It'll be better suited for the task.'

The youth hesitated a moment, glanced to the bodies before meekly holding out the axe.

* * *

\- 'Yes, it would seem these individuals were indeed declared outlaw.'

The bailiff nodded slowly and turned away from the heads to the clerk hovering nearby.

\- 'Pay out the bounty.'

\- 'Yes sir.'

The clerk nodded before turning to the two soaked individuals.

\- 'Follow me please.'

The youth moved to follow, pausing as he noticed the man, now unhooded, tilt his head to the bailiff and followed his example. The bailiff waved a hand in return before calling out.

\- 'Guard!'

\- 'Bailiff?'

The soldier asked as he walked in, the bailiff indicating the two heads resting in what was once the shirt of the heads owner.

\- 'Dispose of this.'

\- 'To the gate or to the compost?'

That was all the youth heard before the door was closed he turned his attention to the new room. A bored looking soldier glanced up as they entered but showed no interest in them as the clerk disappeared behind the counter, muttering something to himself and the youth heard a lock opening and a small pile of silver appeared on the counter top.

\- 'Very well, standard wolf's head, times two minus income tax, self employment tax...'

The clerk continued muttering under his breath a lot of things which the youth did not fully understand, scratching something on a parchment as he did before looking up to the man and pushing a small stack of coin towards him.

\- 'Twenty pence, well earned. Just sign here.'

The man frowned but took the quill and scratched something on the parchment which the clerk immediately picked up looked over and nodded.

\- 'Very well, all is in order. Good day.'

And with that he disappeared again and the youth followed the man out and quickly pulled his hood up as it was still raining.

\- 'Bloody taxes! Makes one wonder why he bothers working honestly in the first place.'

The man growled pulling up his hood as soon as he left the building before stopping suddenly forcing the youth to skid to a halt.

\- 'Your money, fifteen pence, well earned.'

The youths eyes went wide at the sight of all the silver in his hand thinking hard on whether he had ever seen so much money in his life and not even wondering whether the five pence the man had claimed were worth his effort.

\- 'You have a purse?'

The man, seemingly misunderstanding the pause, asked and the youth quickly nodded, hiding the coin. The man nodded.

\- 'Just don't waste the money.'

\- 'No sir, I won't.'

The man nodded and with a wave of his hand left the courtyard outside the bailiffs home. The youth glanced around, noticing for the first time the amount of people who where there, despite the poor weather. Annoyed looking soldiers, angry peasants and townsmen, already more people than his hamlet.

Excited he fixed his new belt, now weighed down with the bandits blade and dagger and left through the small gate into the city square beyond. Here the amount of people was simply staggering. Townsmen going about their business, good-wives taking care of their affairs, tradesmen and vendors trying to attract custom.

The youth looked round uncertain what to do now when something caught his eye. Several hooded forms walked through the city square and though armed they did not have the bearing of soldiers or militia.

There was no discipline in their gait, their arms swinging freely as they chattered with each other, grins on their faces.

\- 'Who'd have thought we'd find something like that in a goblins nest.'

\- 'They must've nicked it from somewhere or someone.'

-'It's ours now! Let's report to the guild and figure out what to do with it.'

That was all he heard and he realized, they were adventurers! He had finally made it! After a fortnight of wandering he had reached a city with an adventurers guild! Now to find it, register and start his road to glory and wealth!

He looked after the group and was disappointed to see he had already lost them. Wiping his runny nose on his sleeve he glanced around and seeing nothing obvious he decided he would have to simply ask directions.

His stomach rumbled and he glanced down, scratched his cheek and decided a hot meal was his first priority.

* * *

The wizard slayer sighed in frustration at the amount of time it took him to scrape the mud off his boots before it was somewhat presentable. Turning away from the shoe scraper he unclasped the sodden cloak and placing on one of the pegs in the vestibule dedicated to that purpose. There was a noticeable lack of cloaks hanging despite the weather leading the man to conclude that most of the others were probably out and adventuring, a pretty word for the amount of havoc and slaughter adventurers tended to do.

Though not necessarily, after all many cloaks had enchantments on them so it was not unlikely that they simply did not want to to leave it out of sight in case someone had sticky fingers, unlike himself who had warned the youth he was charging for his aid with the wolfs head.

With such thoughts the wizard slayer pushed aside the inner door and entered the adventurers guilds main hall, which was not all that impressive. A short length of counter separating the guilds workers from their clients, stairs leading up to the upper floor where the desk girls superiors would be as well as one or two rooms for important guests and to the side another door leading to what he knew was the tavern, the excited voices revealing that somebody was present.

Despite the fact that it was noon the weather combined with the shuttered windows meant it was dark inside, not that there would have been much light through the horn pane in the windows, so unsurprisingly a number of wicks had been lit, nevertheless it was darker inside than out and the man paused to let his eyes adjust.

\- 'Can I help?'

A voice sounded and drew his attention to a girl in the guilds uniform behind the counter, a very professional smile in place. He didn't recognize her.

She tilted her head but showed no other sign of her surprise when he did not approach but looked around to double check that there was no one else present, there wasn't.

The wizard slayer sighed, he expected that most of the workers would be using the lull in work between the morning quest grab and the evening when most adventurers returned to have a break, he did not expect them to have someone new that they would leave at the counter. Though he had been gone near three weeks so he supposed it should not be that unexpected.

\- 'I am to report to the guild supervisor.'

There was a twitch to her face, obviously she had not been expecting that.

\- 'Are you sure? That is irregular.'

She said, uncertainty tinging her voice as her smile faded.

\- 'Yes, I am.'

He said, as he had been traveling in his hood his helmet was hanging from his belt so his annoyance must have showed as the guild worker shifted herself back.

\- 'Oh, ummm… I'll need to know who is asking to be seen and why.'

He paused as he realized his first impulse to give his name would be largely pointless as it had been a long time since he had been called anything other than…

\- 'Wizard slayer, bac….'

He stopped as the girl nearly jumped from her chair, her face going deathly pale and he hissed in annoyance,

\- 'Oh for...'

\- 'What going on?'

A third person entered from a door leading to the administrative area of the guild, the woman paused at the door, looked at the girl to the wizard slayer, narrowed her eyes before opening them wide.

\- 'Oh, wizard slayer. We thought you'd be back a while ago.'

\- 'The rain made the fords dangerous so I needed to find a different route.'

\- 'Yes, of course. Are you alright dear?'

The last had been aimed at the girl who was still standing with her back to the wall though some color had returned to her cheeks.

\- 'Oh! Yes, I mean...'

\- 'Go have your lunch, I'll take care of our guest dear.'

She said as she approached the counter with a maternal smile on her face the girl nodded and with one final glance at the wizard slayer nearly ran from the room.

\- 'We did warn her about you but it seems her region has some very colorful rumors about your kind.'

-'The one about us causing infants to die when we glance at them or that milk goes sour if our shadow touches the cow?'

\- 'All that and more.'

She answered as she sat down and held a hand out.

\- 'You have a written report?'

He extended a hand holding a roll of parchment which she took, unrolled and looked through the untidy writing.

\- 'No survivors? Unfortunate.'

\- 'True.'

She glanced up at that but said nothing as she scanned the rest of what was written before nodding.

\- 'Very well. I'll put this aside and inform the supervisor you're here. Will you be waiting in the tavern?'

\- 'Yes.'

She nodded and left through the rear door leaving the wizard slayer alone. He rolled his neck, getting a satisfying crack out of it, and headed to the tavern.

* * *

\- 'These creatures, you are certain they weren't dopplers?'

\- 'As certain as I can be. Too many differences especially that mutant and the way it burst from the mage...'

\- 'Than what was it?'

The guilds branch supervisor asked the room as he leaned back in his chair. As the wizard slayer was the only other person in the room he shrugged his shoulders.

\- 'As I said they looked and acted as dopplers save the last one that was mutated, seemed to lack intelligence…'

\- 'And appeared like a spawn or daemon.'

The supervisor finished, rubbing his chin in thought. Neither said anything and the only sound that broke the silence was the rain hitting the shuttered windows.

\- 'No matter.'

The supervisor said with a sigh as he stood from the chair, the wizard slayer following his example.

\- 'I'll send the report, let head office worry about it. You might as well get some rest, no doubt in a few days we'll have another task for you.'

\- 'My pay.'

The supervisor was already part way to his desk paused and looked back.

\- 'Ah, yes. Of course.'

With that he took another step towards the desk and the handy little button that would send a magic signal to his secretary and stopped. He turned back to the wizard slayer, sighed and started walking to the door, the wizard slayer following. The secretary looked up at the door opening and the supervisor waved a hand at the man following.

\- 'Give him his pay slip.'

\- 'Yes sir.'

* * *

\- 'Very well, all seems to be in order. We just need to process the request and in a few days a party should arrive to deal with the matter.'

She smiled as he thanked her, smiled as he left and smiled as she glanced around to see if there was anyone else in the room before letting the smile disappear as she sighed. She had thought herself clever when she managed to acquire an apprenticeship in the adventurers guild. Good money, glamorous and prestigious work with epic heroes, on even more epic quests. She was half expecting to be swept off her feet by an elven prince or such.

As it stood she had glimpsed an elf once in the capital (maybe, it was crowded) where she was worked like a dog dealing with such epic quests as clearing the sewers of over sized rodents. Needless to say she had not encountered any heroes, only the younger sons of poor families who literally had searched for any other options to make a living before turning to adventuring or glory hounds who thought themselves to be the next legendary hero, she honestly could not say which was more annoying and the less said about her pay the better.

If that wasn't bad enough once she had finished her training she was sent to a guild branch in the middle of nowhere! She sighed again.

\- 'That's a heavy sigh.'

She turned to her neighbor who was in the process of stretching with a satisfied look on her face.

\- 'I'm tired.'

She answered as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands as she glanced to the main entrance, thankfully devoid of any visitors. Her neighbor, no longer stretching also leaned forward to rest on the counter.

\- 'You'll get used to it.'

She looked over and smiled.

\- 'At least you look better. You were looking ready to faint for a bit there.'

The rookie groaned, her head hitting the wood with a soft thump. Her neighbour let out a chuckle.

\- 'Chin up! We've all had our first run in with that man.'

\- 'And how many of them involve going near faint with panic?'

\- 'Not many.'

She answered drawing another groan from the rookie making her colleague lean over and pat the groaning girl sympathetically on the shoulder.

\- 'You'll get used to it. After all dealing with oddities is part of… speak of the devil.'

The last bit made the rookie look up and immediately felt the urge to run. The wizard slayer barely glanced at her before heading to her colleague who had sat up straight with a professional smile.

\- 'Yes?'

\- 'Need this cashed in.'

She took the paper, read the contents and with a "wait a moment" she left the counter to the back room and an increasingly nervous rookie alone with the wizard slayer.

A dozen scenarios went through her mind, usually involving the life being sucked out of her but fortunately the man seemed more interested in the sounds of merriment coming from the tavern than with her, glancing in that direction at every louder sound.

\- 'Sorry for the wait.'

The receptionist announced her return before sitting down and counting out a pile of silver.

\- 'Half in hand and half into your account as usual?'

\- 'Yes.'

She nodded at his confirmation and began to write down the details onto a parchment with the ease of a professional before presenting it to the slayer.

\- 'Sign here and here.'

That done she picked it up, glanced over it before nodding and cutting it in half and handing half to the waiting man along with a stack of coin.

\- 'Will there be anything else?'

\- 'No.'

\- 'I see. Thank you for your hard work.'

She said to his back as he was already half way to the exit. The moment the door closed behind him her smile disappeared and she began to put away both the coin and document.

\- 'How do you do it?'

She looked to the rookie with a confused smile.

\- 'Act so natural around… that.'

She waved a hand at the door the wizard slayer had left through.

\- 'Oh… ummm...'

The older clerk paused and went so far as to lean back and rest her chin on her fist before answering.

\- 'Practice?'

She offered with a shrug.

\- 'Just treat him as you would any other oddity like a non-human or a half-blood.'

\- 'I see.'

The rookie said with a slight frown. The receptionist glanced at her before leaning back in her chair and pursing her lips.

\- 'Oh! There is one thing that is different though.

She glanced to the rookie to make sure she was listening, seeing that that was the case she continued.

\- 'Learn to use non-magical make up.'

\- 'Pardon?'

The rookie asked, confusion evident in her voice.

\- 'Well part of our job description is looking nice and most make up contains magic. Wizard Slayers disrupt magic therefore...'

The rookies eyes shot wide and she immediately reached to a small mirror drawing a laugh from the other girl.

\- 'Don't worry, you look fine. But yes one girl had a rash, her face completely red but she covered it up so no problem right? Wrong. That man brushed against her walking by and suddenly the rash is on full display again….'

She paused and looked to the door, the rookie following her example and she soon heard it as well, excited voices, one in particular dominating the others.

\- 'Oh no!'

The receptionist gasped and picked up her mirror looking over herself.

\- 'How do I look!? Good?'

The rookie nodded, not sure what to make of the situation as the receptionist sat up straight before noticing the coin on the counter and payment slip.

\- 'Crap! Put this in the safe for me!'

The rookie was half way to the back room when the doors opened and a group of adventures sauntered in, the receptionist greeting them not with her professional smile but an honest one, or rather the smile seemed to be for one adventurer in particular.

The rookie smiled and went to put the coin away.

* * *

\- 'Well look what the cat dragged in.'

A rose cheeked girl said to another as she tossed a shirt over stretched string not surprising as the morning was bright and sunny causing a massive amount of washing to be strung up to the sun. The other girl, leaned in over a batch of laundry looked up and a cheeky grin spread across her face.

\- 'Don't know what it is but it reeks to high heaven!'

The first girl laughed as she took a few steps to the approaching man wearing simple but quality clothes, a sack slung over his shoulder.

\- 'You were gone so long we'd thought something finally killed you slayer.'

She said, reaching out to the sack he was handing her.

\- 'The rain made the ford flood.'

\- 'Of course.'

Was all he said and all she managed to say as he strode by, forcing her to jog to keep up.

\- 'The usual I take it?'

She asked as she dropped the sack on the table as the other girl leaned in.

\- 'Or can we interest you in our other services?'

She asked with a shameless smirk, unlacing her shirt. The first girl turned with a speed one would not expect and smacked her across the back of the head.

\- 'Don't bother the goodman! If he'll want anything extra he'll say so!'

The girl wheeled away, grin still in place as the man looked on.

\- 'Just the usual.'

He stated, as if the whole exchange had not happened.

\- 'Of course, just follow me please. Take care of the mans laundry.'

The last was thrown at the other girl as her older colleague led the wizard slayer into the long wooden building that held the bathhouse, the girl stuck her tongue out at their retreating backs as she took the sack to the tubs.

* * *

The hot water felt good and the slayer could feel the tiredness from the road leave his body as he sank in the tub. Taking into account the amount of time he spent on the road with only cold washes he first sat to a thorough scrub that yielded gray water and left his skin pink from the friction. Than a close shave that left his head gleaming with naked skin and it was only with all that out of the way that the slayer felt he could finally indulge.

His lungs starting to burn he pushed himself up breaking the waters surface and drawing in a deep breath. A knock to the door made him scowl but he called out.

\- 'Enter.'

Eyes still closed he tilted his head to where he knew a bench was.

\- 'Put the mead there.'

\- 'With pardons.'

He opened his eyes at that and looked to see one of the thugs the bathhouse referred to as security standing in the door.

\- 'But you've a messenger from the guild.'

The slayer ground a profanity between his teeth as a youth in the guilds colours walked in.

\- 'Your presence is requested at the guildhall goodman.'

\- 'Alright, I'll be there shortly.'

He answered as he sunk into the tub, the youth cleared his throat.

\- 'With pardon but, and I quote, "I don't care if the dastard is in a girl he is to report here immediately." So I'm guessing it's urgent.'

The slayer growled something but pushed himself up and clambered out of the tub.

\- 'Right! Get out of here and tell them I'm coming.'

The youth nodded and seeing the foul mood the man was in decided not to press his luck by prodding him for a half-penny or such tip, the bouncer closing the door with a look of sympathy on his face.

Muttering darkly to himself the slayer dried himself off and got dressed, he was in the process of strapping his belt on when the door opened again.

\- 'Oh.'

The girl, carrying a jug said simply as she saw the man fully dressed, straightening the falchion at his side. The man glanced at her and dropped a few coins on the bench and made to leave.

\- 'Shall we send you clothing to the usual place when it is done?'

He stopped, nodded and left.

* * *

\- 'Do you see what I have to work with?'

The guilds supervisor barked as soon as the door shut behind the wizard slayer. The man raised an eyebrow, a largely wasted action as the peak of his hat cast a shadow over most of his face so instead he asked,

\- 'What?'

The supervisor turned to the man and thrust the parchment he was reading into his hand with an annoyed look on his face. The slayer glanced over the parchment and his eyes rested on the seal and his face twisted in disgust. The supervisor nodded.

\- 'I'm no fan of the mages guild either but it gets better. Go on, read it, I know you can.'

The slayer did so, squinting his eyes as he did. He blinked and reread the message.

\- 'Exactly!'

The supervisor barked as he sat down.

\- ' "Keep an eye out." For what? Whom? That they won't tell you.'

\- 'An object of power, stolen from the academy.'

The wizard slayer quoted the letter as he handed the parchment back.

\- 'Not exactly sufficient information to put on the quest board.'

\- 'This will not be going on the quest board.'

The supervisor sighed as he took the parchment.

\- 'You'll be demanding more information?'

The slayer asked, approval in his voice.

\- 'Yes but more importantly it's not going on the board as you are being tasked with the job.'

The wizard slayer sighed and nodded, there would be no other reason to be summoned here. Instead he reached out to the parchment again and looked over the scant details again.

\- 'I'll need a list. Adventurers that joined recently as far as… three months back? They waited a while before sending this.'

\- 'No doubt they had thought to resolve the issue without outside interference. Anything else?'

\- 'Unexpected improvements in fortune, jumps in rank or wealth, that sort of thing. The girls downstairs should be able to notice such things.'

The supervisor nodded.

\- 'I'll get some of them on it. What about you?'

The slayer had already turned to leave but stopped.

\- 'There is a good chance the missing object is nowhere near this region but I'll ride around, ask questions.'

The supervisor nodded.

\- 'Just remember to report in.'

The slayer scowled, nodded and left.

* * *

\- 'Oh fer...'

The rest of the sentence, if there was a rest, was drowned out by the other dice players wordless cry of joy and the myriad of sounds given by the small gaggle of onlookers. The wizard slayer assumed the game was high stakes as he walked past the table.

Taking advantage of the nice weather after the last weeks of rain and as it was noon most were occupied by locals taking their midday meal with a smaller group being travelers indulging in a rest.

The wizard slayer stopped and looked around and not seeing what he was looking for he wondered whether he should check inside after all before noticing what he was looking for.

\- 'How long has it been?'

The wizard slayer said as he sat down on the bench opposite a man who was utterly unremarkable in every way save perhaps for his massive shoulders. The unremarkable man glanced up from his mug with a frown.

\- 'bout a year. Thought fer sure they'd strung you up.'

\- 'They figured that was too merciful.'

They stopped talking as a woman approached them, grumpily demanding the slayer order something. They waited for her to walk off before the unremarkable man continued.

\- 'So what do you want?'

\- 'A few months back the mage guilds head office had an artifact stolen...'

\- 'What was it and when exactly.'

Unremarkable interrupted, the slayer did not answer as the woman was back, roughly setting down a chipped clay mug on the trestle table, scooped up the coin and as she turned to leave the slayer took a long draught before answering.

\- 'They won't say.'

Unremarkable swore, spat and swore again but before he could say anything the wizard slayer continued.

\- 'I would appreciate it if you'd keep an eye out for anything that might raise suspicion. You know the type o...'

\- 'Suspicion!'

Unremarkable hissed but paused to glare at the other tables. Seeing that nobody was paying attention to them he turned back to the slayer before snorting.

\- 'You can't honestly be unaware of how much "suspicious" artifacts go through my hands to say nothing of the hands of my subordinates.'

The slayer took a swig from his mug before answering.

\- 'I know. But I figured you at least check the background of the crap you handle.'

Unremarkable snorted as if insulted.

\- 'Of course I do. However the chance is slim and if I were to put a price on it...'

\- 'Get lost.'

The unremarkable man looked to the slayer, surprised by the sudden dismissal but before he could say anything the slayer continued.

\- 'Just noticed some Forest Wardens ride into the village and some of them look old enough to remember...'

The unremarkable man did not turn around but nodded once, emptied his mug and got up.

\- 'I'll get in touch.'

He hissed, pulling his hat lower over his eyes as he left. Shortly after a group of men in green and browns rode up and chattering among themselves secured their horses. The slayer did not look up, sipping his ale as they walked past, a few of them glanced suspiciously at the slayers armoured form but said nothing instead shooing a villager from the table he was sitting at and loudly demanding food and drink.

The wizard slayer let out a breath he was not aware he had been holding and moved to take another swig but realizing there was nothing left but a few drops thick with residue. He set the mug down, considered asking what sort of pottage the tavern had bubbling away before glancing at the wardens and deciding to leave.

* * *

The rest of his travel yielded little better result. At his enquiry all demanded more information and once informed their was none to be had most stated that there was nothing to be done. A few promised to never the less keep an ear open but expected compensation for so little anyway. As such the wizard slayer decided there nothing further to be done and returned back to the city.

Rather than the guild though he skirted around the outskirts till he reached a compound surrounded by a sturdy fence. He had to duck to avoid smacking his head against the gate and no sooner was he though than one of the thugs employed as bouncers approached to take the reins.

• 'Slayer.'

He greeted the man simply. The slayer nodded in return and dismounted, by the time he reached the entrance a girl stood there.

• 'You re back sooner than we'd thought.'

• 'Still smell like a horse though, can I get a bath and my things scrubbed?'

• 'course, providing you pay.'

The slayer sighed but reached to his purse and counted out the coin. The girl smiled as she took the offered silver.

• 'You'll need to wait a bit for the water to boil, will you want anything while we get it ready?'

• 'Beer.'

Came the answer. He had sat on a bench, face to the sun, by the time the bathmaid had returned.

• 'Your beer, slayer.'

He reached out a hand and she stepped closer to hand the clay mug over only to find one of his hands gripping the mug and the other gripping her hands in a tight grip and forced her to sit down next to him.

• 'Anything come up on the matter i asked you to keep an eye for?'

He asked as he lifted the mug to his mouth. She rubbed her wrists as she answered.

• 'No. A lot of bragging of course but nothing like what you asked about.'

• 'A pity.'

He sighed as he set the mug down but said nothing more. The bathmaid hesitated a moment before asking.

• 'Anything else?'

• 'No. Nothing.'

With that she got up to leave, glad to be able to put some distance between herself and the slayer.

* * *

This late in the day the adventures that returned from their days work, adventuring as some insisted, had mostly already completed their report which meant there was little in the way of lines which was why the slayer had opted to enter the guild at this hour. He was, however, displeased to see that their were two guild receptionists present with a que to one and the other being the rookie. She had turned to the door on hearing it open and even in the gloom he saw her face pale on recognizing him. With an annoyed sigh he turned to walk to the other receptionist.

• 'Can I help!?'

He started and turned to the source, as did everyone else in the hall.

The rookie, face no longer pale but a bright red, looked like she was struggling not to run away but held his gaze.

• 'I have a report of my action for the supervisor.'

He said as he approached her, a bit of color seemingly fleeing her face with each step he took. He placed the wax tablet on the desk in front of her and the rookie looked at the report for a moment before taking it cautiously.

• 'Very well, I'll pass it on. Anything else?'

The wizard slayer glanced to the other receptionist who was in the process of thanking the adventurers for their hard work, none of whom were looking in his direction. Satisfied he turned back to the girl in front of him.

• 'The supervisor requested some information for me, do you know anything on that?'

The rookie, who looked like she was desperately hoping he did not want anything else, nodded and began looking through the notes she had on her desk.

• 'I'll check in the back for you, shall I?'

The other receptionist offered as she got up, the group she had been dealing with already half way to the tavern, chatting among themselves.

\- 'Thank you.'

The rookie answered, or started to when she looked up with a jerky motion and looked back to slayer, making him wonder whether it was due to the realization that she was alone with him or that she could have gone to the back instead.

The wizard slayer looked on as the rookie now turned gray in the face as she continued rifling through the notes on her desk.

• 'Oh!'

The slayer looked back the receptionist as she held a letter on her hand.

• 'This came for you this morning.'

She held the folded parchment up before quickly setting it down on the desk her hand shooting back as if escaping his own hand as he extended it to pick up the message. He glanced at the seal and immediately tore the wax and began looking over the contents.

The rookie receptionist fidgeted in her chair uncomfortable with the mans presence yet glad his attention was not on her. At the other receptionists return he looked up, pushing the parchment into his pouch.

• 'This was set aside for you. I'll just need a signature…'

The wizard slayer scratched his signature on the parchment, gathered up the tablet presented and left without a word.

• 'Rude.'

The receptionist summarized as she put away the signed parchment.

* * *

• 'Over here slayer!'

The man calling him had a face resembling that of a weasel but was dressed like a successful burgher all the way the pointy shoes and floppy hat in a sharp contrast to the wizard slayer in his mail.

He weaved his way through the evening crowd in the "Old Faithful" tavern, initially on his guard he relaxed on seeing the badge on the other mans hat and the second, less obvious badge.

Gripping a serving girl by the arm he demanded beer and sat down opposite weasel face.

• 'I take it you're interested in what we've found.'

• 'How much?'

Weasel Face studied his finger nails for a moment before replying. The wizard slayer blinked, looked round before turning back to Weasel Face.

• 'Piss off. There is no way the information is worth that much.'

Weasel face shrugged.

• 'You can't say till you hear it and you won't hear it till you pay and you need to pay what the boss wants.'

• 'Bull. You Just want to fleece me and keep most of the cash to yourself. I'll give you half.'

• 'Three quarters.'

• 'Half and I don't complain about this to your boss.'

Weasel face scowled at the slayer but extended a hand.

• 'Deal.'

They shook and Weasel face placed a tablet in front of the slayer.

• 'We don't have the seller, unfortunately, but we have a buyer which is almost as good.'

The wizard slayer looked over the information and drained his mug.

• 'Aye. It is.'

* * *

The city curfew meant it was only the following morning he entered the guild hall after what he assumed would be the morning rush, though there were still more people around than he'd like. Frowning he weaved his way through the crowd to the receptionists.

• 'Is the supervisor in?'

The receptionist turned to the slayer, mouth open, doubtless ready to ask who and why wanted to know but seeing who was asking shook her head instead.

• 'He's out of town, a meeting.'

The slayer ground a curse between his teeth.

• 'I need to know where an adventurer is.'

The receptionist bit her lip.

• 'We're not supposed to reveal such things.'

• 'It's very important.'

The receptionist hesitated, glanced behind her and with a "wait a moment" she left for the backroom. A few minutes later she returned with a senior receptionist.

• 'Follow me.'

Came the order and the slayer did so.

• 'Is this request tied to the instructions received concerning promotions?'

• 'Yes.'

• 'I see, who do you want to know about?'

He answered and the woman pursed her lips.

• 'In that case wait a moment.'

With that she left the room, leaving the slayer behind to stand awkwardly as guild workers milled about, casting an occasional glance in his direction but giving him a wide berth.

• 'She left yesterday morning on a quest, details are here.'

The senior receptionist said as she returned, walking over to a shelf to pull out a wax tablet and glanced though it, nodded to herself and passed it to the wizard slayer. He glanced over the contents with a frown than reread it more carefully.

• 'Thank you.'

He said as he left.

* * *

The sun beat down from above casting deep shadows in the wood yet it was light enough for him to easily follow the trail left by the adventurers, or at least the wizard slayer hoped that the trail he was following belonged to whom he thought they did. The villagers, though co-operative, were not very helpful as they could not exactly say which direction the group had headed forcing him to ride over a large area before he found what looked promising. Three sets of footprints, two heavy, one light and moving away from the village.

He had set off in the morning and had kept going since. Goblin hunting. He tried to recall what he knew about the creatures, not much as unlike most others that signed on with the guild he rarely took jobs from the board due to his circumstances. Still he knew they liked caves and judging from the ever more rocky ground there was a chance of that coming true.

He paused and knelt, judging from the way the ground was disturbed he surmised that they had sat here for some time before heading off again, but the trail was less visible, as if the were moving more cautiously from here. Glancing back to his horse he gave the animal a tug of the rein before continuing on. He soon saw it, a small cave. Confirming the trail led in that direction he secured the horse and slowly made his way to the cave mouth, from an angle in the hopes that if something was waiting he'd avoid it's attention.

Glancing into the darkness he saw nothing out of the ordinary so he leaned back and checked his weapons were easy to draw before lighting his lamp and hanging it from his belt.

He quickly discovered he was in the right place as not far from the entrance he found a body.

The goblin lay face down, after lifting its head up he saw the cause of death, slit throat. He lay the head down gently and carried on deeper in and soon came across more bodies, all goblins.

The wounds were mostly cuts, a few from hacking or stabbing and one had suffered significant burns… he was on the right track than.

He kept going through what seemed like a long tunnel, but it wasn't long till it ended in a larger cavern, no doubt expanded by their owners who were now scattered around in positions only comfortable in death. Satisfied there was nothing alive in the cave the slayer lifted his lamp high and pulled the shutters fully down flooding the area with light and saw them immediately.

The first youth was lying face up, a nasty gash on his leg and throat looking more ripped than cut, the other was laying face down not far away, no evident wound, sword sheathed and helmet on the ground.

Putting the lantern down he knelt and pulled the body on its back, the youths eyes were wide open as if in shock but seeing no wound he shifted his attention from the face and began twisting the head this way and that, pulling the lantern closer as he did and he saw it, a small wound behind the ear more or less where the skull met the neck.

With that he let the head down and sat for a moment in silence before tearing the porcelain tags around the bodies necks and thrusting them into his pouch.

* * *

The sounds of merriment sounded louder for a moment before being muted, signaling that the taverns door had been opened and shut.

The girl responsible stood for a moment, swaying on her feet slightly before staggering off in the direction of the privy.

She smiled as the door opened again and she heard the voices of her new companions before it was muffled again, she had cause to be satisfied.

After all these years of study and her failure to join the Mage Guild she thought that becoming an adventurer could open the way to fortune, after all many a prominent mage had started as an adventurer, and yet she was still stuck as an obsidian with no change in sight.

That is why when she was offered the opportunity to bid on artifacts from dubious sources she decided to take it and when she saw it she knew she had to claim it. Despite the trouble she had acquiring the money needed the artifact soon proved its worth as she swiftly regained her wealth and advanced a rank. True she had balked at the price at first but now she had come to realize the simple truth, the lives of non mages served no purpose other to advance her own power and wealth, in fact they should feel privileged that their lives could serve such a purpose!

Despite such thoughts she felt a pang of regret, she had liked her latest companions but the price had to be paid. She looked down at the metal glinting on her chest and that perhaps she should get rid of it.

Perhaps.

But not today she decided.

Business done she staggered out the privy and made her way to the tavern where her new companions awaited. Sparing a glance at a man leaning against the wall looking sick she turned her thoughts back to her future plans when a sudden feeling made her turn sharply.

The truncheon grazed her skull with enough force to send her staggering to the ground but too little to deprive her of her senses. She tried to stand but the man she had assumed to be drunk slammed the club into her back drawing a sharp gasp of pain from her as she landed in the muck making up the taverns courtyard.

• 'Not a word.'

Her attacker hissed as he grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up. Suddenly very sober she looked at the armoured form and nodded. Seemingly satisfied the man hoicked her to her feet, probably ripping out some of her hair in the process, and still gripping her led her to the stables.

Mind racing she asked who was this, why was she being kidnapped and, most importantly, how to escape. Fortune smiled on her as at that moment the taverns door opened and a deep voice bellowed;

• 'Oy! What're you doing?'

The challenge made her abductor turn around, his grip loosening enough so that, with a lot of pain she pulled out of his grip and began running towards her new companion.

• 'Help me!'

She heard the man behind her hiss in annoyance soon drowned out by a roar as her comrade drew his longsword and charged her assailant.

* * *

The wizard slayer hissed in annoyance at the obstacle that appeared. The charging individual was tall but lanky, probably a youth though the way he held his sword suggested skill. That said the colour of his face suggested he had downed several drinks and was without armour. The slayer brought his arm back before hurling the truncheon at his assailant.

The youth swung his blade, knocking the projectile aside, leaving himself open for a moment. The slayer stepped in close, one gauntleted fist low to present an obstacle to the sword already swinging up while his other slammed open palmed into the youths ear.

He cried out in pain, one hand instinctively moving up as he staggered back, he did not get far before the slayer grabbed him by the collar and slammed his helmeted head into the youths unarmored one sending him the ground where he moved weakly groaning and coughing blood that was now flooding his throat from his shattered nose.

Problem solved he looked round for the runaway and saw she was no longer running but stood, a triumphant smile on her face as she uttered words of power, a hand outstretched to him.

He moved, closing the distance between them, drawing his blade as he did, even as a ball of light formed in her hand. He saw a flash and closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw a look of shock on the wizard face and he closed the distance, slamming weapons guard into her jaw, sending her to the ground.

He had no time to be pleased with himself as more made him turn to the still open door where several people stood and a youth who drew his messer and was charging at him. With a hiss the wizard slayer shifted his stance and adopted a low guard even as the youth swung from above.

The slayer brought his own blade up as well as free hand close behind as he stepped forward. Steel rang as the two weapons clashed however even as contact was made the slayer shifted his own blade letting his opponents slide as his free hand shot out and gripped the blade, clenching the blade tightly between fingers and thumb.

The youth realized the predicament but before he could decided whether to release his sword or struggle the slayer brought his own blade round and delivered a quick cut to the head. The youths eyes shot open and he collapsed like a doll whose strings had been cut.

"Lucky" the slayer thought to himself, had they been in armour or their reflexes not dulled by food and drink that fight could have gone worse.

The slayer tilted his helmet back to see unhindered and quickly noticed the mage running to the stables. With an annoyed sigh he set his weapon down and pulled the sling free from around his waist, extracted a bullet from his pouch and with a swift movement thrust it into the slings pocket and slung it towards the runner. There was a high pitched scream of pain and she fell to the ground, the lead bullet having torn a hole in her back.

The slayer turned, reaching for his blade as he heard movement, several other patrons had gathered at or near the door. Most seemed uncertain what to do but some had drawn or were reaching for their weapon.

• 'This is a case of law! Any that hinder me make their life forfeit!'

An exaggeration as the girl had not been declared outlaw yet but his challenge made the others hesitate and the slayer turned round hoping they would stay out of the matter.

The mage, contrary to his expectations, had not tried to crawl away but was twisting on the ground, hands trying to grasp the wound in between gasps of pain, tears streaming down her face.

With a last glance back to ensure the others had not moved the slayer grabbed the girl by her neck and dragged her to where his horse waited.

* * *

• 'A good hunt slayer, pity it was wasted.'

It was a week later, the girl had first been treated, the bullet removed and the wound sealed by a cleric who threw a look of disgust when he discovered it was caused by a wizard slayer and had to be sewn shut. After she had regained some strength the bailiff agreed to lend his executioner to the interrogation. The information gained served to fill out a report that was sent to the mage guild whose reply had arrived, the slayer summoned the moment it did.

• '"We appreciate the effort yet regret to inform you that, though it had been lost be one of our representatives this is not the missing artifact we informed you off…"'

The wizard slayer read out loud that which was most important and set the parchment down.

• 'There you have it, needles to say they wont send any money for your effort. If we had at least found out where she bought the artifact from we might have negotiated some reward but as we found nothing...'

The slayer grunted in response and stood up to leave.

• 'A moment slayer.'

He stopped and looked to the supervisor who indicated he should sit down before continuing.

• 'Forget about this affair for now, we've got another job for you.'

* * *

**Sometimes I wonder, how would magic society and I reach conclusions such as the thought that one of the most applications of magic would be cosmetic, allowing people to make themselves look better, in their opinion. When one takes into account how ancient the concept of make up is I would argue the concept isn't that far fetched...**

**In a similar vein I couldn't help but wonder what sort of people would actually become adventurers; a high risk, low reward job and the concept was that it would be something similar to armies of the olden days, those who had little hope of supporting themselves any other way or were simply the type that can't stand a peaceful life.**

**Thanks for reading.**


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